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Saturday, February 23, 2008

Almost all Wrigley gums in Canada free of animal ingredients (UPDATE)

(February 26, 2002) The Consumer Affairs Administrator at Wrigley Canada has confirmed to eat-halal.com that almost all Wrigley gums sold in Canada are free of animal ingredients. Only ExtraPolar Ice (not to be confused withExcel Polar Ice) contains gelatin and should be avoided. All other Wrigley gums in Canada are free of animal ingredients. Wrigley Canada manufactures many brands (including Juicy Fruit, Big Red, and Freedent) and can be contacted at (416) 449-8600.http://www.eat-halal.com/updates/2002.htm

Thank you for writing requesting information regarding our a Wrigley product. We appreciate your interest in our company and our products.

In answer to your question, the vast majority of Wrigley products sold in Canada are free from ingredients of animal origin, including egg and dairy products. Glycerin is the most common ingredient in our gum products. Glycerin can come from animal, vegetable or synthetic sources. The glycerin we use comes from vegetable sources only.

Extra® Polar Ice gum contains tiny flavour beads encased in a microscopic layer of gelatin, which is animal based. This brand is not to be confused with Excel ® Polar Ice, which does not contain gelatin. Juicy Fruit Twisted Green gum uses shellac (also known as Confectioner's Glaze) as a coating agent.

In addition, the different varieties of our ALTOIDS® mints, Lifesavers Gummies and Excel Cool Blast (liquid-filled) mints do contain very small quantities of gelatin which is derived from pork. Gelatin does not impart any flavor to ALTOIDS, but it's a necessary ingredient for the texture of the mints. When we use gelatin it is thoroughly purified and dried during its manufacturing process. Lifesavers Cremesavers brands use dairy products.

Our staff is continually looking at alternatives to animal gelatin, but at the moment we've not been able to find a substitute that produces the same quality consumers expect of our products.

Another common question concerns whether glycerin or sugar alcohols are true alcohols or not. Glycerin is an alcohol but this type of alcohol is a natural byproduct of most plants, fruits and vegetables or it sometimes has a synthetic source. Sugar alcohols refers to the group of ingredients that are artificial sweeteners. We would like to point out that these alcohols are NOT the same as the ethyl alcohol found in alcoholic beverages.

Your interest in the Wrigley Company is greatly appreciated, Aamir. We hope this information is helpful to you.

Sincerely,

Angela BrooksConsumer Affairs Representative

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